I’m Keiko. I live with my husband, Koji, and our three daughters: Ayane in 8th grade, Kaori in 4th, and little Madoka who’s six. I work from home while juggling all three girls’ schedules, and I’m also involved in the PTA at both the elementary school and the kindergarten. Life is pretty intense, but I keep telling myself this is the only time I get to be so deeply involved in their everyday lives. So I do my best.
What really stresses me out, though, is my husband’s sister, Nao. She’s not a bad person, but we just don’t see the world the same way. And she loves coming over to our house.
My mother-in-law and Nao keep trying to pull little Rin into our kids’ circle. It’s not like I’m trying to exclude her—it’s just that our family is our family, and Nao’s family is Nao’s family. I want that boundary to stay clear. And with three kids, everyone has their own activities. Matching schedules is pretty much impossible. Still, I felt bad always turning them down, so I agreed “just this once.”
Then Madoka got sick. And when Nao kept pushing even after we’d cancelled, I honestly just froze.